The beat keeps going with all kinds of different things to do in Miami April 2022. Here are my picks in design, Earth Day happenings for all ages, music, art, polo on the beach, an afternoon outing, and more.

Here’s a special afternoon outing —It’s great to see what is happening on 125th Street in North Miami  near the Museum of Contemporary Art – almost 12 antique, art galleries and vintage shops have opened there over the past 12 months. My favorite is CURATED.ART which you can’t miss for the wonderful entrance that’s covered in mini multi-color succulents – columns, roof, the works!

The shop is the passion of very successful high-end interior designer and curator Victor A. Diaz who features a  showroom filled with art, furniture and antiques he has collected over the years and has added to as exclusive retailer for select luxury brands like USM Modular Furniture, Louis Poulsen Lighting, Rosenthal,  and Vondom Outdoor Furniture. Find everything from sterling silver, art sculptures and paintings, to outdoor furniture made from recycled ocean plastics, and precious carved wooden religious sculptures and antique furniture dating back to the 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. There’s also vintage and mid-century lighting and furniture.

Some of my favorites were the customizable USM chrome and glass bar carts, modular furniture, garden tables with succulents, Versace candles in porcelain bud vases by Rosenthal  and a pair of 17th Century Japanese  gold gilded antique screens depicting a scene of a family’s treasured Kimonos being washed and hung to dry which spans 25 feet.

Team the exploration visit with a trip to MOCA to see the My Name is MaryAn show. Have lunch at a choice of good eating spots in walking distance like Café Crème and Tomato and Basil for a delightful afternoon. Or, you can head east on 125th Street to Zaika for their Indian lunch special (click here for more info).There’s a free parking lot nearby all the galleries and shops. CURATED.ART, 887 N.E. 125th Street, Miami 33161.

When you’re in the Design District check out THE OFFICE, an experiential showroom founded by Matthew Chevallard. Now on tap there through May 30 is an exclusive partnership with famed Memphis Milano in an exhibition called “Unusual Perception”. See irrational shapes, unique patterns that simulate precious materials, and many other classic stylistic offerings from Memphis Milano furniture designers. From chairs to desks to lighting and shelving pieces,  find seven furniture selections in all. THE OFFICE gives a twist to the concept of a traditional gallery, bringing in the concept of both fashion and art. It is in the heart of Miami Design District above OTL Café.

For Earth Month Brickell City Centre has events all month long as part of their Reflections campaign. The eco-friendly activities include yoga (with a special session for kids), meditation, happy hours, and cooking classes, free of charge. What especially caught my eye is Sur La Table’s zero waste cooking class on Earth Day, April 22.

A chef instructor will guide you through cooking two low- to zero-waste recipes for a delicious, eco-conscious meal. With only a few staple ingredients, you’ll make fresh pasta dough, meatballs and tomato sauce for your main course. Then, you’ll use garden-fresh veggies to make a mixed-green salad topped with crispy spiced chickpeas and the ultimate zero-waste food: aquafaba ranch dressing. For the complete schedule, click here.

A Culture Crawl with serious jazz is on tap in South Beach April 21. The Betsy South Beach  joins with Miami Beach Arts & Culture for their monthly Culture Crawl on Thursday, April 21^st from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM.  Enjoy an evening of music and the visual arts as part of the Betsy’s 10^th Annual Overture to Overtown Jazz Festival and month long celebration of April 2022 National Jazz Appreciation Month. Here are the highlights:

5: 30 – 7:30 PM –   Exhibition Opening in The Boardroom Gallery at The Betsy Hotel,  featuring historic photos of Jazz giants by Roberto Polillo and new works, inspired by the essence and message of jazz, by ‘Artivist’ Leonor Anthony.   Leonor Anthony will be present.  Duetology performs, featuring Ryan and Cindy Ellis

7:30- 9 PM Carole Ann ‘CAT’ Taylor, vocals with Brian Murphy @ the Piano From 6:00 PM to 11 PM as part of The Betsy’s 10th Annual Overture to Overtown Jazz Festival, Lobby Salon

9:15 PM – Opera Pop up on the Terrace with Miami Beach Classical Music Festival‘s Diva Duos and Trios, singing the latest and greatest operatic music of all time

6:00 – 10 PM –  Photography on view in The Betsy Galleries by Jim Krantz, Seydou Keita, Tamary Kudita, Bunny Yeager, Andy Sweet, Alessandro Sarno, and Robert Zuckerman

For more info on Betsy arts programs visit: https://www.thebetsyhotel.com/explore/arts-culture

More Things to Do in Miami April 2022

         World Polo League Beach Polo World Cup, Miami Beach, the world’s largest and most well-known beach polo event, is back Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1. The three-day equestrian extravaganza combines the best of the king of sports competition with shopping and entertainment, featuring eight international teams vying for the trophy on the sands of Miami Beach at Collins Park.

Each day some of the world’s top players compete in high-stakes, high-goal polo matches alongside a series of offsite polo, fashion, and luxury events. Polo fans will enjoy the rivalry and access to the Retail Village, an area with official merchandise and luxury goods available for purchase.  On the sands of South Beach at Collins Park between 21st & 22nd Streets

Click HERE to access the full schedule of events.

TICKETS:          https://miamipolocup.com/tickets  Note that access to the retail village is free.

Been wanting to check out Little Haiti? Here’s the perfect occasion – the Little Haiti Book Festival 2022 on Sunday, May 1. The event, in the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, is free and open to the public. 

Programmed in partnership with Sosyete Koukouy, and in collaboration with Miami Book Fair, Books & Books and Libreri Mapou, the Little Haiti Book Festival 2022 will feature authors from Haiti and the Haitian diaspora, panel discussions and book signings, documentary films, musical performances, as well as storytelling and dance performances for children.

This FREE hybrid event will take place in person at 11am  on Sunday, May 1^st at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, and online on Sundays, May 8^th and May 15^th at 2pm EST. Panel topics include Haitian Voodou and Haitian music, with a special presentation celebrating the 100^th birthday of two Haitian literary masters, Jacques Stephen Alexis and Émile Célestin Mégie.

At the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, renowned Haitian DJ Nicky Mix will spin dance tunes, and will welcome a packed line up of roots and rara musicians. Onsite to chat with will be VIP guests and community leaders, including the “Haitian Oprah” Elizabeth Guerin; journalist, anchor, reporter, and producer James Pierre; media personality Carel Pedre (Chokarella); media maven Wanda Tima (L’Union Suite and the Haitian American); educator and author Jessica “M.J.” Fievre; Little Haiti’s Miami Ride Jitney’s Daniel Fils-Aime Jr., Radio Lekòl’s Simone Degraff, among many others. And for the children will be storytelling with Lucrece-Louisdhon-Louinis, dance and music performances, hands-on arts and crafts, and many other activities for kids of all ages.

For more information visit Miami Book Fair at miamibookfair or follow the Festival at @miamibookfair.

And finally, for curated things to do in Miami in April 2022: Lots of Freebies, family friendly activities at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden on April 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. Some of the highlights include:

7:30PM – SAVING THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR

This short film presents the efforts being taken to protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a statewide network of public preserves and private working lands, that works to balance Florida’s rapid growth with the green infrastructure that supports all Floridians.

NATIVE PLANT GIVEAWAY: One free plant per person while they last

COMPOSTING: Pick up a free bag of organic Garden compost

BEEKEEPING: Sample honey from the Garden’s hives

SUSTAINABILITY: Learn about City of Miami Beach initiatives

PELICAN SEABIRD STATION: Learn all about their Florida bird rescue

PURA VIDA MIAMI: Kombucha samples

BOTANICAL BAR: New signature cocktails & light vegetarian bites

ART EXHIBITION OPENINGS:

Tree Huggers and Nests: The Art of Evelyn Politzer

Native Orchids of South Florida: The Photography of Drew Mullin

RSVP here.